ADHD & Neurodivergent Counselling in Sydney

Therapy that works with the way your brain works

Perhaps you know or sense you have ADHD.

Perhaps you were diagnosed later in life and are still trying to understand what that means.

Or perhaps you have spent years wondering why things that seem straightforward for other people can sometimes require enormous effort from you.

ADHD can affect much more than attention.

It can influence organisation, motivation, emotional regulation, relationships, self-esteem, work, routines and the way you respond to stress.

For many adults, therapy isn't simply about becoming more productive.

It can also be about understanding yourself differently, letting go of years of self-criticism and finding strategies that actually work for you.

I provide ADHD and neurodivergence-informed counselling and psychotherapy for adults from my private practice in Newtown, Sydney, as well as online.

I am a PACFA Registered Clinical Counsellor & Psychotherapist with more than 10 years' experience.

ADHD can look different in adulthood

Adult ADHD isn't always obvious from the outside.

Some people struggle visibly with organisation and unfinished tasks.

Others appear extremely capable while internally using enormous amounts of energy to keep everything together.

You might recognise experiences such as:

constantly feeling mentally busy
procrastinating even when something is important
difficulty beginning or finishing tasks
becoming intensely focused on some things and unable to engage with others
frequently feeling overwhelmed
difficulty organising time or priorities
forgetting things despite genuinely trying to remember
struggling with routines
feeling restless or constantly needing stimulation
impulsive decisions
becoming frustrated or emotionally overwhelmed quickly
sensitivity to criticism or rejection
overthinking conversations afterwards
periods of intense productivity followed by exhaustion
perfectionism
people-pleasing or masking
feeling that you are somehow “too much” or “not enough”
difficulty switching off
relationship conflict around organisation, attention or communication
knowing what you need to do but struggling to actually do it

Having some of these experiences does not automatically mean someone has ADHD.

ADHD is a neurodevelopmental condition that requires appropriate clinical assessment for diagnosis.

Therapy after a late ADHD diagnosis

Receiving an ADHD diagnosis as an adult can be validating.

It can also bring complicated feelings.

You may begin looking back at school, relationships, work or previous difficulties through an entirely different lens.

People sometimes experience relief alongside sadness, anger or frustration:

“Why didn't anyone notice?”

“Would things have been different if I'd known earlier?”

“Maybe I wasn't lazy after all.”

“How much of my life have I spent trying to hide this?”

Therapy can provide space to make sense of this.

Rather than seeing a diagnosis as a new label that explains everything, we can explore what ADHD means specifically for you — and what doesn't need explaining through ADHD at all.

ADHD, shame and self-esteem

One of the less visible consequences of living with ADHD can be the story you gradually develop about yourself.

If throughout your life you have repeatedly heard:

“Just concentrate.”

“Why haven't you done it yet?”

“You have so much potential.”

“You're always late.”

“You need to be more organised.”

“You're too sensitive.”

you may eventually stop hearing these as comments about particular behaviours and begin experiencing them as statements about who you are.

Therapy can help separate difficulties with attention, executive functioning or emotional regulation from beliefs such as:

“I'm lazy.”
“I'm unreliable.”
“I always mess things up.”
“I'm too much.”
“I'm not good enough.”
“Everyone else seems to manage.”
“I should be able to cope with this.”
“Something is wrong with me.”

Understanding ADHD does not mean avoiding responsibility.

It means being able to approach difficulties with greater accuracy and less unnecessary shame.

ADHD and relationships

ADHD can have a significant impact on relationships.

Arguments may develop around things that initially seem small:

forgetting something important
lateness
household responsibilities
interrupting
needing more or less stimulation
becoming distracted during conversations
emotional reactions
impulsive decisions
different approaches to planning
difficulty following through on agreements

Over time, these can become much bigger relationship stories.

One partner may begin feeling:

“You don't care.”

while the other experiences:

“Nothing I do is ever enough.”

Therapy can help slow these patterns down and understand what is happening underneath them.

The goal isn't to excuse hurtful behaviour because of ADHD.

It's to distinguish intention from impact, improve communication and develop strategies that are realistic for the people actually in the relationship.

I work individually with adults experiencing these difficulties and also offer couples and relationship counselling where ADHD or neurodivergence forms part of the relationship dynamic.

ADHD, anxiety and overwhelm

ADHD and anxiety can sometimes become difficult to separate.

You may worry because you forget things.

Then create rigid systems so that you won't forget.

Then become overwhelmed by maintaining those systems.

Then avoid the task altogether.

Then criticise yourself for avoiding it.

Therapy can help identify these cycles rather than simply treating each symptom in isolation.

For some people, perfectionism, over-preparing, people-pleasing or excessive checking have become ways of compensating for difficulties they didn't previously understand.

We can explore which strategies are genuinely helping you and which are now creating additional stress.

Masking and appearing “high functioning”

Not everyone with ADHD appears disorganised.

Some adults become exceptionally skilled at compensating.

You might be successful professionally, highly responsible, organised for other people or seen as the person who always gets things done.

At the same time, you may feel as though maintaining this version of yourself requires a huge amount of internal effort.

You may rely on:

constant reminders
urgency and deadlines
anxiety
perfectionism
overworking
rigid routines
excessive preparation
hiding difficulties from others

Sometimes the issue isn't whether you can function.

It is how much energy functioning is costing you.

Therapy can help explore where strategies are useful and where you may be able to work with yourself rather than constantly forcing yourself into systems that don't fit.

What might we work on in ADHD counselling?

Therapy is individual rather than a fixed ADHD programme.

Depending on what is happening for you, our work might involve:

understanding your individual ADHD patterns
reducing shame and self-criticism
emotional regulation
anxiety and overthinking
overwhelm and burnout
procrastination and avoidance
perfectionism
relationships and communication
sensitivity to criticism
boundaries and people-pleasing
work stress
identity following a late diagnosis
self-esteem
developing realistic routines and strategies
recognising strengths as well as difficulties
processing past experiences that continue to affect you
understanding how ADHD interacts with other aspects of your life

Sometimes practical strategies are useful.

Sometimes the issue isn't another planner, reminder system or productivity technique.

Sometimes therapy needs to explore why a particular situation carries so much emotional weight in the first place.

An integrative approach rather than one-size-fits-all therapy

I don't use one therapy model with every client.

My approach is integrative and may draw upon:

Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT)
Schema Therapy
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
psychodynamic psychotherapy
Narrative Therapy
Solution-Focused Therapy
mindfulness-informed approaches
EMDR where appropriate

For someone with ADHD or other neurodivergent traits, this may also mean adapting the way therapy itself works.

We don't need to spend 50 minutes following a perfectly linear conversation.

We can slow things down, change direction, use practical examples, revisit important threads and find ways of working that make sense for you.

ADHD and trauma

ADHD does not mean that every emotional difficulty is caused by ADHD.

Experiences of bullying, criticism, rejection, difficult relationships, family experiences or trauma may also shape how you see yourself and respond to situations now.

Sometimes therapy therefore involves working with both the present-day ADHD-related difficulty and the experiences that helped create the emotional response around it.

Where appropriate, I can also incorporate EMDR therapy to work with distressing memories or experiences that continue to feel emotionally unresolved.

What about autism or other neurodivergence?

Some people come to therapy identifying broadly as neurodivergent rather than having a single diagnosis.

Others may be exploring whether autism, ADHD or another form of neurodivergence helps explain aspects of their experience.

You do not need to arrive with everything figured out.

We can explore your experiences without assuming that every difference needs to become a diagnosis.

Where formal diagnostic assessment is needed, I can recommend discussing this with an appropriately qualified clinician.

Do you diagnose ADHD?

No (and some people choose not to go via an official diagnosis route for personal reasons...) - I provide psychotherapy and counselling rather than ADHD diagnostic assessment.

If you think you may have ADHD and would like a formal diagnosis, this usually involves assessment by an appropriately qualified medical or psychological professional.

You are still welcome to attend therapy before, during or after that process.

We can work with the difficulties you are experiencing regardless of whether you currently have a formal diagnosis.

Can I have therapy while taking ADHD medication?

Yes.

Psychotherapy can be used alongside medical treatment where appropriate.

Your medication and prescribing decisions remain between you and your GP, psychiatrist or other prescribing clinician.

Therapy can focus on the emotional, relational and behavioural aspects of your experience that medication alone may not address.

ADHD counselling in Newtown, Sydney

I offer in-person sessions from my private therapy space in Newtown in Sydney's Inner West, as well as online counselling across Australia.

The practice is designed to feel private, comfortable and informal rather than clinical.

I intentionally see a maximum of four therapy clients per day so that sessions don't feel rushed and I can remain fully present with each person.

About your therapist

I'm Christopher James, a PACFA Registered Clinical Counsellor & Psychotherapist with more than 10 years' experience providing therapy.

Alongside professional training and clinical experience, I also bring personal understanding of neurodivergence, which informs a practical and non-judgemental approach to therapy.

I work with adults experiencing ADHD and neurodivergence-related difficulties alongside areas including:

anxiety
trauma
relationships
depression
grief
low self-esteem and shame
LGBTQIA+ concerns
intimacy and sexual wellbeing
work stress and burnout

My aim is to provide therapy that is professional and evidence-informed without feeling overly clinical.

You don't need to arrive knowing exactly what is wrong or exactly what you want to work on.

Often that is something we work out together.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need an ADHD diagnosis to see you?

No.

You may already have a diagnosis, be waiting for an assessment or simply recognise difficulties that you would like help with.

Therapy can focus on what is actually happening in your life rather than requiring a particular diagnostic label.

Can counselling "cure" ADHD?

ADHD is a neurodevelopmental condition rather than something psychotherapy is intended to “cure.”

Therapy can instead help with areas such as emotional regulation, coping strategies, relationships, self-esteem, anxiety, behaviour patterns and understanding how ADHD affects your life.

Is ADHD counselling just about organisation & productivity?

No.

Practical strategies can certainly be useful, but many adults seek therapy because ADHD has affected how they feel about themselves or how they experience relationships.

We can work with both practical difficulties and the emotional patterns surrounding them.

What if I think I might also be autistic?

You are welcome to discuss this in therapy.

I do not provide formal autism diagnostic assessments, but therapy can explore your experiences and what particular patterns mean for you.

If you decide that formal assessment would be useful, this can be undertaken by an appropriately qualified professional.

Can ADHD affect relationships?

Yes.

ADHD-related difficulties with attention, impulsivity, organisation and self-regulation can affect relationships, although every relationship is different. Healthdirect notes that ADHD in adulthood may affect family, work and other areas of daily functioning.

Therapy can help couples understand patterns without reducing every disagreement to ADHD.

What does counselling cost?

Standard individual psychotherapy sessions are $200 for 50 minutes.

Your first individual session includes an additional 15 minutes at no extra cost, providing more time to understand what has brought you to therapy.

Limited after-hours appointments are $230.

Do I need a GP referral?

No.

You can contact me directly.

This is a private psychotherapy practice and Medicare rebates are not available for sessions.

Interested in ADHD or neurodivergence-informed counselling?

You don't need to know exactly what you want from therapy before making contact.

We can have a brief conversation about what's happening and whether I may be a good fit for what you are looking for.

In-person: Newtown, Inner West Sydney

Online: Available across Australia
Standard individual session: $200 / 50 minutes
First individual session: 65 minutes for the standard $200 fee (15 minutes extra free)